Never Die
by Kayle5
Summary: Something from Hikari's past has come back to haunt her... and those she's close too. Problem: she can't remember what it is...Rated PG-13 for some blood and swearing. Takari in later chapters. *COMPLETED!* Read and review!
1. Chapter One

**New A/N: Okay, I'm going through this fic, since this is one of my personal favorites. I need to fix the grammatical and spelling errors, as well as adding html to everything . . . the usual. ^_^ It was really annoying me! ~_~ Well, onwards!**

**Original A/N: The overall tone of this fic is pretty depressing. That's all I have to say. on with the the story.**  
  
  
  
"Oh, God, no." She was dressed in a tight, strange-looking white suit. It stuck to her as she sweated. 

"No." Her emerald eyes were deep pools, deep pools which reflected the blazing town ahead of her. "No." The screams of the unsuspecting villagers had long since ceased. For that much she was grateful. So many deaths. "Please!" It wasn't the village that had captured her attention, it wasn't the village . . . _Oh, God! _

Taichi. Taichi. He had been massacred and then burned in a torched cabin. Yet he stood before her. "Taichi, no. . ." 

Blood ran down his off-white shirt, spurting from a huge wound across his chest. Above the deadly injury, the part of the body was hardly staying to the rest. Only a small flap of skin and reed-thin shreds of bone held it together. Hikari's hands flew to her face. "You're dead!"  
  
Taichi said nothing in response. His mouth hung open, exposing a black, gaping hole. His eyes were two empty sockets. Crimson liquid ran down his ruined face from them both, like waterfalls, mixing with his other bodily fluids. He lifted his arms. Metal spikes jutted from the knuckles. Slowly, he hobbled towards her. Terror left her unable to speak, as she saw a bloodied sword lodged in the left side of his torso. 

Hikari's knees quaked beneath her. She wanted to run, run to safety. But she was paralyzed. Couldn't move. He ran the metal spikes gently along her throat, once, twice, three times. Then, with a malicious gesture, he jammed it right through her. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head, and she sank to the ground, hearing her brother laugh in a dry, dead laugh that only something evil could produce.  
  
  


She awoke at once, tears streaming down her cheeks. "God, it was a dream."

 But Hikari knew it wasn't. It couldn't be called a dream anymore. Dreams didn't come to you for weeks on end. No. This was something much more. . .  
  
  


"Hey, Hikari! Over here!" Daisuke waved both of his hands wildly over his head in an exaggerated gesture. Takeru, who was unfortunate enough to be sitting next to him, shook his head and lowered it into his hands for a split second, then glanced up at Hikari and grinned boyishly. Hikari forced a smile upon her face. She was happy to see Takeru, she really was. But she was so tired!

"Yeah! She sees me!" Daisuke hollered. "WHOO-HOO! HIKARI! OVER HERE!" People passing by gave Daisuke annoyed glares as they hurried past. He was standing on the top of a bench out in the schoolyard. Hikari self-consciously straightened her ocean blue uniform. Did he have to be so loud? 

"Daisuke, calm down," Takeru told him quietly. "You're embar. . ." 

He didn't have a chance to finish. Pin wheeling his arms, Daisuke fell backwards off the bench. Despite the heaviness in her heart and the dark cloud looming over her, a true smile broke out across Hikari's face. With as much energy as she could muster, she flounced over to Takeru.

 "Hey," she greeted. They instantly started into conversation, completely oblivious to Daisuke's grumbling and picking grass out of his hair. The first bell sounded. Takeru leapt to his feet, and Hikari followed suit, only slower. _Why can't high school be later on in the day? She thought groggily. Among a pulsing stream of students, the two set off for their classes.  
  
  
  
  
_

Later that day, school had just let out. Hikari had barely managed to get through the day, but hey, after all those sleepless nights, you get used to having a serious lack of energy. She was stumbling down the sidewalk next to Miyako. Miyako kept sending concerned glances her way. She could see the obvious bags under her friend's eyes; they'd been there for days. 

"Hikari, are you feeling okay?" Miyako blurted. Hikari tilted her head slightly towards Miyako, but not enough so she could see her face. 

"I'm. . . fine. Why do you ask?" 

"Because you're always so happy and. . .now you're NOT." Miyako said loudly. "Something's up. Come on, Hikari, you can tell me." 

Sorry. I've got to hurry," Hikari replied quickly, trying to avoid having to tell Miyako about her crazy dreams and her sleepless nights. "I'll. . . see you at the school today, alright? Bye." Without waiting for Miyako to inquire further, Hikari ran as fast as her legs would allow for home, feeling the bile rise in her throat. Once she reached her bathroom, she threw up in the toilet. She flushed it and sat there, tears starting to form in her eyes. She knew she was going to go berserk if she didn't get any sleep. But no, just the thought of those strange reveries she had been having fought her grogginess off. Life goes on. She hoped. 

On shaky legs, Hikari stood up and wiped her wet face. 

Someone rapped on the door. "Hikari, is that you?" Her older brother's voice shouted. "It's time for dinner."

"Already?" Hikari tried to keep her voice steady. "What time is it?" 

"Time for dinner. Now come on!" Rubbing her face in what she expected was a bored gesture to hide her red, puffy eyes, she went out of the bathroom. She had totally forgotten her brother was visiting from college. 

"You came home awfully fast. You didn't even say hi," Taichi said, and knelt down slightly so he was face-to-face with her. Hikari kept her hands over her face. He began to pull them away. "Come on," he grumbled. "I'm not a stranger or anything." Finally, she dropped her hands to her sides, but refused to look at him.

Taichi shook his head and led her too the kitchen. 'Something's wrong with her.' he thought. She sat obediently as Taichi pulled out a chair at the dinner table. He set a plate full of steaming noodles in front of her. Pushing her food around with her fork, she stole a peek at Taichi. "You've been crying," he said at last in a decisive manner. "And you look tired. What's wrong, Hikari?" 

Hikari sniffled, even though she had promised herself that she wouldn't. "I. . ." 

"Go on." Taichi urged.

She was feeling seriously dizzy. Her plate spun around in circles before her. _Stupid plate . . . stay in one spot, like you're supposed too! She leaned back in her chair, trying to will it off. "I'm really tired." _

Taichi shook his head in disbelief. "People don't cry when their tired, Hikari. You can tell me." 

She stood up quickly. "No, no. There's absolutely nothing wrong with me. See?" She took a step forward, and stumbled to the floor, breathing a bit labored. 

"Hey!" Her brother knelt by her side and lifted her so her head was resting in his lap. "I knew something was wrong!" He cried, his voice laced with brotherly concern. Hikari felt too weak to resist.

"Fine, you got me." 

Taichi lifted her up and laid her on the couch in the living room. He looked at her. "Now spill." 

It came out in a rush, like a dam overflowing, as Hikari explained her gruesome dreams and the lack of sleep. Taichi listened intently. He opened his mouth to speak as she finished, but their parents suddenly barged through the door. 

"Taichi!" Mrs. Yagami shouted happily, even though she was about two feet away from them. "It's so good too see you!" She rushed over to him and gave a bone-crushing embrace. 

"Nice. . . to see. . . you. . . too. . .  mom, but can you please. . . get off. . . me?" Taichi sputtered, face turning blue. 

"Oops." Their mother stepped backwards sheepishly. Mr. Yagami shook Taichi's hand. "I planned a special dinner for all of us tomorrow!" Mrs. Yagami said happily, sitting on a lounge chair. "Liver!" 

Hikari felt her stomach lurch. "Um, sounds great, mom." 

"Your mother totally forgot about a dinner for work tonight," Mr. Yagami told them. He was straightening his tie, and was seemingly grateful to be able to avoid his wife's infamous cooking. "We'll be home around midnight." He began to pull Mrs. Yagami towards the door again. 

Taichi and Hikari nodded, and said good-bye. Once they had left, he turned to his sister again. Hikari swallowed hard. "I know it sounds stupid, but those dreams feel so real and everything. Maybe I'm just weak." 

Taichi shook his head violently. "Weak? _YOU?_ No way! I'd be in much worse shape than you if I kept having those things every night. Now, how about this. It's still early, and you seem pretty comfy on the sofa. So just stay there, and try to get some sleep. I'll sit here and wake you up if you look like your having a nightmare, okay?"

 "You'll do that for me?" 

"Of course I will. Now relax, and go to sleep." 

Hikari smiled. "Thank you." She leaned back and was pretty much asleep before she hit the pillow Taichi had put beneath her head.  
  
It was two hours later, about 7:15 P.M. Taichi yawned, and willed his eyes to stay open. His younger sister was sleeping peacefully, and showed no signs of disturbance. His head lolled. "Tired." 

He had suddenly begun to feel incredibly groggy. It was a struggle to stay awake. Finally, he gave in. His eyelids shut and didn't reopen.  
  
  


Hikari laughed as Takeru splashed her. The sun beat down upon them, warming the usually unbearably cold ocean water around them. 

"Stop. . . stop! It's freezing!" Hikari shrieked. 

"Aw, come on, you can't tell me your afraid of water!" Takeru teased back. 

"You're asking for it!"

 "Oh, am I?" 

"That's it!" She sprayed Takeru with the seawater. He pretended to fall over as the liquid soaked his body. He went underwater. 

Hikari laughed. "You clown." She tromped over to him. Her feet sank into mud. "Huh?" She was certain that wasn't there before. Suddenly, the ocean level began to rise without warning. The skies overhead grew dark, and wind whistled past her ears. She was pushed over as a huge wave washed over her. Before she could catch her breath, another one crashed into her. 

ari was being pulled out to sea. She couldn't tell which way was up. She thrashed her limbs wildly, trying to get to the surface. Instead, her face smashed against the slimy sand of the bottom. Bubbles escaped her mouth as she tried to scream. It fell on empty ears. She couldn't breathe. Something wrapped around her ankles, something freezing. Something alive. Her eyes shut and her lungs stopped desperately trying to find air as she fell victim to the frothing waters. The seas then became calm, as did the sky. The water level fell. A lone seagull squawked.  
  
  


Clutching at her throat, Hikari awoke. Her lungs didn't feel like they were working. She clawed at her face until blood ran down her cheeks. 'Breathe!' She sucked in a breath. And another. And another. 

"T-T-Taichi . . ." she sputtered, "why. . . didn't you wake me. . . up?" Hikari spotted her brother fast asleep in the chair. _That little. . ._

She felt like socking him, but felt too tired to do so. So she got up, picked up her hairbrush, and combed her hair. _I'm_ going out. I need to get away from all this. _ She thought, and left the apartment without another word, silent fury radiating off her body. __That damned jerk!  She made sure to slam the front door extra hard. Taichi still didn't stir.  
  
  
  
  
_

Shivering underneath his thin jacket, Takeru scolded himself for the thousandth time. Why hadn't he worn a thicker coat? Takeru looked up at the Yagami's apartment building as another cold breeze swept by him, which set him off grumbling again. "Takeru. . . is that you?" A female voice wondered. He turned around to see Hikari trembling behind him. 

"Hikari, your lips are purple," he said, and began to take his jacket off to give to her. 

She waved it away. "I'm fine, really. I'm just really pissed at my brother right now."

"What'd he do? Hide your underwear?" 

Hikari groaned. "He hasn't done that since he was ten. No, it's something a little bit more serious." 

Takeru furrowed his eyebrow. "Penny for your thoughts?"  
  
"Give me a quarter."

"Fine," he laughed. 

"I'll tell you . . . let's just go someplace warmer." 

"Brilliant idea. Your place?" He asked. She didn't really want to, but she was shivering so hard, she didn't think she could walk the distance to Takeru's house. 

"O-Okay."

He grabbed her hand, and together, they began reenter the apartment complex.  
  
  
  
  


Taichi was still crashed in the same chair when they opened the door and quickly stepped back inside. Hikari glared at his sleeping form as she took a seat. "So. . ." Takeru trailed off. 

"Well," she started. "It all began two weeks ago, Monday, I think. I was asleep when I had the first dream. Yes, a dream. It was so horrible, Takeru! Taichi was grabbing me by the hair and slamming my head into the ground again and again. I remember how the gravel felt against my bleeding face . . . From then on, I got two hours of rest a night, tops. I've never had the same one more than once, though, but my brother was in every one." Something then dawned on her. "Oh! He wasn't in the most recent one- the one I had when I was trying to take a nap." Takeru was quiet for a moment. "You should talk to someone." Hikari sighed in exasperation. 

"I did. And look what he does!" She gestured at her brother, whose mouth was wide open as his neck was leaning painfully against the back of the wooden chair in which he sat. Hikari was surprised he didn't sever it. 

"You can't go on like this," Takeru said softly. Even though the fact was well known to them both, one of them voicing it aloud seemed to cast a dark shadow over them.  
  
Takeru left about an hour later, and Taichi was still sleeping. Hikari reached over and violently pushed him off the chair. "Hey!" He snapped. "Watch it."

 "I was getting tired of watching you drool." She sipped a cup of coffee. Taichi yawned. 

"Caffeine? So close to bed?" 

"I'm not GOING to bed," she confirmed. He frowned. 

"Yes, you are."

 "I am not." 

"Look, you are. I don't think mom or dad would be very happy to pay the hospital bill if you start learning the ways of an insomniac." 

Hikari scowled. "You fell asleep." 

I was tired." 

She ignored his obvious sarcasm. "I had another dream." 

Taichi raised an eyebrow lazily. "'Bout what? Me going around raping people?" 

"Shut up, brother. You're acting weird. Go back to sleep." She was stung, but tried not to let it show. In a huff, she stalked from the den into her room. Taichi smiled in strange joyous glee as she left.  
  
  


Wiping at her eyes for what must have been the sixtieth time that day, Hikari laid on her bed. Sleep threatened to overcome her. "I have to stay awake." Had that coffee done nothing for her? "Can't go to sleep." Despite herself, her eyes closed as she drifted from the conscious world.  
  
Crickets chirped as the clock struck midnight. There were distant sounds of cars honking as Hikari, eyes shut, swung her legs around and stood up. 

**Go to the window. Open it. **

She unlocked and lifted the plane of glass covering the screen. She pushed the mesh off its metal holders, and the howling wind blew it away. Her eyes didn't open. 

**Jump out.**

Hikari lifted one leg and braced it on the windowsill. She then brought the other one up. She was now crouching in an uncomfortable position in the frame of the window. 

**Now!**

She leapt and fell like a lead weight. Her hair whipped wildly around her face. 

**Scream!**

She let loose a horrible shriek as she neared the approaching ground.  
  
  
  
**New A/N: Well, I've revised it. Chapter Two will soon be following! ^_^**

**Original A/N: There's chapter one! A cliffhanger, sorry about that. Until next time. . .**

**  
~Momiji-chan Wa Baka**


	2. Chapter Two

**New A/N: Nothing to say except this is the revised version of Chapter Two!**

**  
  
**

Taichi sipped another mug of coffee. If he was correct, that was his tenth cup. 

He had felt so horrible about what he had said to his sister that he had been unable to sleep. Something had just come over him. 

He practically dropped his cup when he heard a terrible scream come from Hikari's room. 

"What the . . .?" He sprinted over and threw open the door.   
  


The sheets on her bed were unmade, and she was nowhere to be found. Wind howled sinisterly as it blew through the open window. _Open window? It hadn't been open before; he had shut it himself earlier._

Taichi went over to it and peered over the sill. His breath caught in his throat when he saw Hikari laying on the sidewalk three stories down. 

Blindly, he left the room and ran outside. In a reckless manner, he dashed down the staircase and onto the street. There were absolutely no cars and no people to be seen. Even the city nearby seemed to be silent. Taichi knelt by his sister's side. _Don't__ move an injured person. That was the first thing that came to his mind. Tears frozen in place midway down his cheeks, he took her pulse. Faint. But there was one. _

A sigh of relief left his mouth. _Elevate her legs above the heart . . . or is that for people in shock? I don't know!  He felt desperate. __Call nine-one-one!_

"But the phone's inside!" He wailed to no one in particular.

Cell phone . . . shit! He left it in his coat pocket, which was in the apartment. He saw two glaring eyes shining from down the road. Wait a minute . . . not eyes! Headlights! People! They might have a phone! He waved wildly, trying to flag the car down. Thankfully, it stopped. 

"What's wrong?" A weary-looking businessman asked. Then he saw Hikari facedown on the sidewalk. "Oh, my." 

"Do you have a cell phone?" Taichi's voice sounded squeaky. 

"Why, yes, yes," the man said, and took it out. "Should I call an ambulance?"

_"YES!"_ Taichi roared. 

Taken aback, the businessman quickly dialed the number. "Yes? Hello. We have an injured girl here." 

_Go faster! Go faster! _ Taichi wanted to shout, glancing at his comatose sister. Soon, the wail of an ambulance siren could be heard in the distance.  
  
  
  
  


"She suffered a punctured lung, three broken ribs, massive bleeding, broken nose, and a slight concussion," Doctor Enna murmured, expression giving away his exhaustion and grief for seeing similar cases all the time, sad stories of suicide attempts, and the even sadder ones when the patients were beyond help. 

Mr. and Mrs. Yagami had been contacted, but hadn't arrived yet. Taichi felt like he'd been run over by a train multiple times. "Will she . . ." Taichi swallowed. "Will she be alright?" 

Despite the late hour, he had also called Takeru, Yamato, and Miyako. The others wouldn't answer the phone call. 

"Ms. Yagami is a very lucky girl," said the doctor. "She'll live, but she'll be in the hospital for around a week or two."

 "A week?" Taichi sighed. "Wow." 

"You don't look too good yourself, Mr. Yagami," Doctor Enna told him. "You should get some rest." 

"No, I'm alright. Can I see her now?" 

"Not yet. She's undergoing surgery. I'll tell you when you're allowed." 

"Okay," Taichi murmured. 

"Take care of yourself." The doctor walked off. 

Takeru and Yamato both burst through the doors, startling the desk clerk. "Is she okay? What happened?" Takeru cried, looking stricken. Taichi rubbed his temples tiredly and repeated what the doctor had said before. It was going to be a long night.  
  
  
  
  


Like the doctor said, Hikari was in the hospital for a week and a half, but was removed from the Intensive Care Unit after the first night. Hikari was home now, and despite her begging her family to let her go about her normal activities, they refused. 

One good thing did come out of the entire ordeal--the dreams stopped. Hikari felt more rested than she had in months. After awhile, she was allowed to go outside and hang out with her friends, for which she would be eternally grateful. 

It was back to regular trips to the Digital World, shopping at the mall with Miyako and other girls she knew, checking out guys, (mostly one in particular), and so on, so forth. 

One day, Miyako ran up from behind Hikari and grabbed her hand excitedly. "C'mon, Hikari! Let's go." Although Miyako didn't specify where she meant by "go", Hikari knew. 

It was a beautiful day, and the time was right to have a picnic! So they took off towards the school, where already Takeru, Daisuke, and Iori waited.  
  
  


"So . . . hot." Daisuke complained as they trudged along a grassy path, searching for a good spot to eat. 

"Shut up, Dai," Miyako snapped. "It's perfect weather." 

"It's comfortable," Hikari chimed in. 

Daisuke blushed. "Hikari, you're exactly right!" He exclaimed. 

Takeru sighed. Eventually, the group situated themselves under a large, elderly tree whose exact species was unidentifiable. The thick trunk sprouted upwards almost to the point where the top was beyond sight. The huge blue leaves shaded the people eating happily, for some limbs leaned down strangely far. 

"My compliments to the chef," Iori said quietly as he bit into a sandwich. 

"It's delicious," Takeru agreed. "But . . . uh . . . What's in it?" 

"Why, raw sardines and relish, of course!" Miyako cried. "With a hint of jalapeno, for flavor." The others stopped chewing. 

She laughed at their reactions. "I was just trying something new." 

Hikari felt her stomach lurch. "Uh, I'll be right back." 

"I'll go with you." Takeru stood up at the same time she did. 

"I wanna--OW!" Daisuke almost got to his feet but was pulled back down by Miyako and Iori as the other two disappeared into the bushes. 

Once out of an earshot, Hikari groaned and mocked gagging. "I can't believe I ate that." 

"I think the raw fish is catching up to me," Takeru mumbled, a little pale. 

She felt nauseous herself. "There's a lake over there. C'mon." They both made their way to the clear, running water. It sparkled like thousands of precious gems as it ran over the rocks. The light noise calmed Hikari and Takeru, who now sat side by side at the edge of the water. "So . . ." Hikari trailed off. 

"So, what?" Takeru asked. 

"Oh, I don't know. Just thinking." 

They lapsed into silence once again. Hikari jumped thirty feet into the air when something wet and cold splashed against her nose. She looked up. "Rain clouds?"

Indeed they were. The once blue and happy skies were turning gray with perspiration. It began to pour in a heartbeat. 

"Geez," Takeru murmured, and pulled Hikari under the thick canopy of trees. "We can stay here, I guess, unless it starts to thunder." 

On cue, lightning illuminated everything, and was quickly followed by a heavy cracking noise. They both groaned.

"As long as we stay away from the trees, we'll be okay. I think . . ." Hikari trailed off doubtfully. 

"Yeah. Let's get out of here." 

The storm was right overhead. Hikari suspected there were two fronts moving in, for the amount of lightning was too great for just one to produce. That's when, with a brilliant flash, the huge oak next to them was struck down the middle by a bolt of lightning and split in two. One side fell towards Takeru and Hikari. 

"Jump!" Takeru shouted, and together they barely managed to roll to safety. The burning wood landed, but the sound was drowned out by another roll of thunder. 

"That was too close," Hikari said, as they saw a small group of Koromon bounce to shelter. 

"We have to contact Daisuke and the others on the D-Terminal!" Takeru shouted. The winds were now wailing heavily as they whipped past their faces and through their hair. "Do you have yours?" Hikari hollered back. "I left mine at home!" 

"Yeah!" He gripped the grey device carefully, and typed in a message. They now were both running wildly back to where they had set up their picnic only a half hour ago.  
  
  
  
  


Miyako, Daisuke, and Iori stood by the nearest portal to the Real World, desperately searching for Hikari and Takeru, but not daring to go too far off. "If we don't find them soon, we have to go back without them!" Iori shouted over the roar of the wind. 

"We can't leave Hikari!" Daisuke cried. 

"Iori's right!" Miyako told him. "Dai, this storm doesn't look like it's blowing over. I'm sure they'll find shelter. As much as I hate to leave them here, we have to, or else we won't be much good to them dead!" 

"But we're not gonna die, you baka!" Daisuke yelled, but his argument seemed weaker now. A lightning bolt struck the ground right next to him, making him yelp. 

"Let's go!" Miyako shouted, and grabbing Dai and Iori, the three of them went through the portal. It closed behind them.  
  
  
  
  


The rain seemed to just bounce off his head, leaving no trace of dampness. His eyes scanned the area, looking for whom he was planning to kill. Then he saw them. But wait . . . they were running. Did they know he was there? And why were there two teens? Was he supposed to kill the blonde- haired boy, too? He didn't think so . . . but if he got in the way, he would have no choice. With the swiftness of a cat and the stealth of a cheetah, he leapt through the trees along side the girl and boy unnoticed. 

"How much longer, Takeru?" Hikari cried, feeling tired and weak. 

"We're close. But I . . . " Takeru trailed off. He didn't want to tell her that his D-Terminal wasn't working. He pulled her under the cavernous protection of a slightly uprooted tree.  
  
Meanwhile, the man glanced down at them. 'Now?' He thought. 'Now,' came the whispered reply. He jumped down from the limbs in clear view of them. Hikari was the first to see him. "What?!" She cried in disbelief. "It can't be you . . .how did you get here?"  
  
  


**Original A/N: Eh, relatively short chapter.**** (So what else is new?) Don't know how long it'll take me to get the next one uploaded, but I'll try my best. e_e Oh, and if you can guess who the strange man was at the end of the chap, I'll give you. . . ::dramatic pause:: . . . a cookie!  
  
~Momiji Wa Baka, formerly known as Momiji-chan**


	3. Chapter Three

**A/N: Here's the revision of Chapter Three . . .**

**Original A/N: Without further ado, here's the next chapter. ^_^ Kermit the Frog? O.o Well that was close, Wolfie...**

Chapter Three

            "Taichi!" Hikari sighed in relief. His sudden appearance had given her quite a shock, to say the least. 

            "Yeah, it's me," he said nonchalantly, as if standing in the middle of a deserted forest in the middle of a terrible storm was an everyday ordeal. "I found a place where we can hide until the rain passes through, alright? Follow me." Without waiting for a response, Taichi pivoted on his left foot and hurried off.

Takeru and Hikari gave each other a quick look and obeyed Taichi.

He led them to an old two-story cabin. The outside walls were weather-beaten and peeling, the front door only hanging on by two of the three hinges. The ancient shingles on the roof flapped wildly in the unrelenting wind. The place gave Hikari a bad feeling, but she knew that it was shelter, dilapidated or not. And a predicament such as hers, shelter was a very good thing.

They rushed inside. Hikari instantly wrung out her hair. "Thanks, onii-chan. How'd you find this place?"

"Oh, I was just . . . passing by when the storm started. Miyako and the others had told me that you two were stuck, so I came in to get you two," Taichi grinned sheepishly.

Hikari returned the smile. "Gomen." Takeru nodded his agreement as he made his way over to a tattered old red velvet couch. "Think it's safe to sit on?" He wondered aloud.

"I'm not gonna try it!" Hikari giggled, and then jumped as a particularly loud roll of thunder rumbled outside.

"We can stay here until the storm front passes through," Taichi said, back to them as he scanned the room. "I'm going to explore around." He carefully started up a flight of stairs that didn't seem to be too sturdy.

"Be careful!" Hikari yelled after him.

"I wonder if anyone ever lived here," Takeru murmured thoughtfully, taking in his surroundings. The red sofa was the only piece of furniture besides a rocker chair that was in worse condition that the couch. An extremely dusty fireplace lined the far wall, and next to was a big, gaping hole that led to who knows where. Neither of them wanted to find out. "And where they went."

Hikari shrugged. She felt too tired to respond else wise. It was scary, but the once repulsing upholstery of the cushions was starting to look comforting. . . She shuddered and snapped herself out of it.

Zzt. Zzzzt.

A tape of Hikari and Takeru sitting on a bench, age ten.

Sniffle_. " 'He pushed me offa slide, T.K.! And now I have this great big cut and it hurts.' " Sniffle.___

_" 'Hey__, it's alright. Now, let's get that cleaned up, okay?' " Takeru wiped Hikari's eyes._

She gave a wavering smile. _" 'Thank__ you, T.K.' " _

Zzt. Zzzzt.

Static.

A tape of Hikari sitting in the high school bleachers, merely five months ago.

_" 'Come__ on, Takeru! Go! Go! Shoot!' " She cried, getting to her feet._

Takeru, on the slick basketball court below, let the ball fly in an accurate jump shot. . . Swish. It didn't even hit the rim as it slid through the hoop.

The crowd went wild, and Takeru smiled up at Hikari, who blushed in return.

Zzzzt. 

It went dark.

Darkness, thick and surreal. 

"Hikari. Hikari. Hikari. Hikari. You're on no basketball court now. And no one's gonna be able to clean your wounds . . . they'll be too deep."

"Taichi's been gone too long. I'm going to see what's taking him," Hikari told her blonde friend.

"I'll come along."

The two carefully started on the same route as Hikari's brother. They moved around large flaws in the wood where maggots had eaten away. With every step came a loud and decisive creak. All the horror stories she'd ever read flooded into her mind.

The staircase finally ended, leading into a narrow hallway. Hikari took a step forward, but Takeru gasped and pulled her back roughly.

"Hey!" She wasn't mad, just concerned. "What's wrong?"

"Look at the floor," he said gravely.

So she did, and had a similar reaction to Takeru's.

There was no floor.

It had fallen in, or rotted away. That really didn't matter, but all Hikari could see was blackness below her. "God," she whispered. "I almost fell through . . ."

The mind of a maniac is an empty thing.

If you're human.

It wasn't human, not in the very least.

At least, it didn't think so.

Nevertheless, its mind was empty, anyway. Of emotion. Of memories.

It didn't know its gender. It didn't know its nationality. It knew nothing, only that it was seeking revenge. Seeking revenge on something that had done this to it.

And she would pay.

Hikari's heart pounded in her chest. Takeru hadn't removed his arms from her shoulders, but she didn't mind. "Taichi . . . what about Taichi? He went up here, did he not?" Hikari asked.

"Yeah. I know the floor didn't give away recently, so there's no way your brother was taken along with it. But how did he get through?" Takeru knelt down and examined a shard of wood jutting out of the wall. "How strange . . . this feels like we're inside a Stephen King novel."

Hikari gave a short nod of the head but said nothing further. She self-consciously scooted closer to her blonde-haired friend as they both lapsed into silence. Takeru's observation about the book was appallingly close to reality.

            "Hey, what are you guys staring at?"

            Hikari and Takeru gasped in surprise as a voice sounded out from behind them.

            It was Taichi, standing there with a placid smile on his face. "What's wrong?"

 "Who . . . how . . . you . . ." She squeaked.

"Is that so?" Takeru murmured, rapping his knuckles against the hallow wall. "How'd you find it?"

"I stumbled when I saw the hole and fell to the side against the door. It cracked open a bit and I went inside to investigate," Taichi replied.

The three of them stared at the slightly ajar wall. They had been talking about a passageway that Taichi had stumbled across. 

"Wanna go down? It's really neat," there was an odd gleam in the soccer player's eyes.

"Sure," Hikari spoke up. 

**A/N: Well, there ya have it, folks. ^_^**

**Original A/N: Whew!**** I cannot believe that my interactive fic was totally wiped off FF.N! I didn't even have a chance to back it up! Life isn't fair... oh, well. Signing off.**


	4. Chapter Four

**A/N: Here's the revision of Chapter Four . . .**

**Original A/N: Yes, I'm updating. Ano (Um) . . . nothing to say. On with the story!**

Chapter Four

Hikari rubbed her behind, she hit the ground below hard. It wasn't her fault; she hadn't been able to see anything in front of her!

"T-Takeru?" Hikari whispered. She didn't know exactly WHY she was whispering, but it seemed suitable in her surrounding environment.

After she, Takeru, and Taichi had stepped into the hole, her feet had given out from under her and she'd fallen. How far, she was not sure, but far enough. It was so dark . . . it felt like it was pressing in on her.

"Takeru?" 

Hikari was scared now. She stood on shaky legs. _'I can't be alone!'_

"Takeru! Taichi! Where are you?" She screamed when someone grabbed her shoulders from behind.

"Hikari, Hikari! It's me. Your brother."

"'Nii-chan!" Hikari sagged against him. "Thank the Lord. Where were you?"

"I guess I got lost." He answered simply.

"Do you know where Takeru is? Oh, I hope he's okay . . ."

"I think he's over here." He grabbed her hand. "This way."

She followed willingly, feeling her heart rate calm down. "You know where you're going?"

He didn't answer. She sighed and lapsed into silence.

"Who-Who . . . are . . . you . . ." Takeru could barely speak, and his sentence lacked emotion. He was so weak, and something wet and sticky ran down his side. Although sight was out of the question, he had an idea of what it was. Why did he feel like crap all of a sudden? After tumbling down that hole, he'd lost contact with the others. _'Oh, I hope Hikari's okay!' _

He wasn't really experiencing any pain, but he felt numb. And he knew that numb wasn't good. He couldn't even feel it when he dug his fingernails into his palm.

Definitely not good.

"Who ARE you?" He exerted much more strength while saying it this time, hoping he'd get a response. This time, he received one.

"Who am I?" A soft voice answered. "I am myself."

"Well, obviously. What's your name?"

"That's for no one to know. I don't know. You don't know. Who needs a title? I am me. That's fitting enough."

Despite feeling like he did, Takeru felt a bit angry. "Look, stop fooling around!"

"Am I fooling? I am no fool."

"I didn't say you were! Just tell me who the hell you are!"

"Angry? Emotions are a waste of energy. Precious, precious energy." 

_'This guy's out of his mind. He's insane,'_ Takeru realized.

He lowered his tone a bit. "Could you please tell me where we are?"

"Location means nothing if you live in your head."

"That makes no sense!" Takeru retorted.

"Sense? Sense--"

"Enough! Stop it, you baka! I don't give a shit about logic! I DON'T CARE! Just get me the hell out of here!"

Suddenly, he was blinded by a sudden illumination. He cried out and fell back, covering his eyes. The light was so intense he didn't dare look at it.

It dimmed enough for him to look. He lowered his arms from their protective stance and blinked, trying to get his eyes to adjust.

His blurry vision came into focus, and now he saw a chair.

Yes, a chair. It was made of a fancy type of wood, probably mahogany. The seat was velvet covered, it looked plush and comfortable but it was a repulsive color—some sort of grayish-brown. The same drab shade as the walls around him. He felt like he was in a prison.

_'What the . . .'_

"Do you like it?"

Takeru turned. There was a large, flat screen full of static. 

"It's my pride and joy."

The voice seemed to come out of nowhere, the same one from before.

The static vanished and there was a dull clanking sound. Suddenly, a recording of him and Hikari eating ice cream popped up, her smiling brightly and him laughing at something. There wasn't any audio, but he felt strangely violated.

Had this person . . . had she, or he . . . or whatever it was . . . been WATCHING them?

"You really know where you're going?" Hikari questioned skeptically, raising her eyebrow.

"Hai" was Taichi's response.

_'I guess somebody doesn't feel like talking today,'_ she thought gloomily. She wanted out of here, and she wanted it fast.

They rounded a corner. Well, Hikari was pretty sure that's what it was, because she almost rammed into it (Thank Kami-sama for her quick reflexes) . . . and surprisingly enough, there was LIGHT. 

Now that she could finally see again, she looked down at herself. _'Ick.'_ Her clothing was dirt ridden. She didn't even want to see her hair. She glanced back up and saw a . . .

Chair.

It was atop a small flight of stairs, and at the bottom sat . . .

"Takeru!" Hikari cried happily and ran to him. She embraced him tightly.

"Hikari?" He murmured in disbelief, wincing a bit.

"Oh, are you okay?" She gasped when her eyes fell upon his wounded side. "You're hurt!"

"It's not that bad. I hardly feel it. But tell me, Hikari. How EXACTLY did you come out of that screen?" His face had confusion written all over it. 

"Out of the screen?"

"Look behind you."

She did, and lo' and behold, there was a huge screen mounted on a wall. The wall that she had . . . walked through?

"But . . . I'm SURE that wasn't just there. I rounded a corner, and I was here. How could I have GONE THROUGH A WALL?" 

"Vision deceives many."

_'That voice again,'_ Takeru thought, and pushed Hikari behind him.

"Maybe the wall was there. Maybe it wasn't. Who knows? Or maybe your mind is making fun of you, teasing you. Are you sure that's there? You can never be sure . . . isn't that right, Hikari?" 

She wasn't sure what it was, but there was something weirdly familiar about whomever it was that was talking. But her body went rigid. Something about them made her feel cold inside, frightened beyond words.

Koishirou, more commonly known as Izzy, eyes' were lit up by the blue glow of his computer screen. "I can't get any data on them . . . none in the very least . . . this is certainly a puzzle . . ."

A 3-D map of the Digital World circled around on his screen, showing the important landmarks. Normally, he could locate pretty much whomever he had too when they were in this alternate universe . . . he managed to find a couple of Koromons and an Opamon, but nothing on Hikari, Takeru, or Taichi.

This was a puzzle indeed . . .

**TBC . . . (dun dun dunn! Suspenseful . . . o_O)**


	5. Chapter Five

Chapter Five  
  
  
  
"How do you know my name?" Hikari whispered from her spot behind Takeru.  
  
"I know everything about you. About your parents, your cat, Taichi . . . You being one of those Digidestined, and your best friend, Miyako. Oh, yeah. We can't forget your . . ." There was a chuckle. ". . . CRUSH."  
  
"I-I don't know what you're talking about!" Hikari shouted defiantly.  
  
Takeru looked back a bit at her. 'Crush? Who? Wait. Now's not the time! Concentrate on getting both of us out of here.' He shook his head to clear it, and glanced around. "You seem so pompous, so come on out! Show yourself!"  
  
The seemingly genderless voice spoke again. "I do not feel the need too."  
  
"Coward."  
  
"Am I?"  
  
The screen crackled, and the static formed the outline of a head. No features could be made out; it was shrouded by blackness.  
  
Takeru was almost certain that was the person who was behind all this. He felt Hikari grip his shirt tightly. She was trembling uncontrollably.  
  
Takeru felt horrible. He wanted to soothe her pain, but knew he could not at the moment. 'Poor Hikari. I'll get you out of this, I swear I will.'  
  
He slowly stood, bringing Hikari up with him. "Why do you want us here?"  
  
The outline moved a bit. "I didn't want you. I only want her."  
  
"Why?" Hikari asked, trying to keep her voice steady.  
  
It paused, not answering the simple question. "You're in my way, boy. You must be eliminated."  
  
Takeru's eyebrows shot up.  
  
"Taichi."  
  
"Yes?" Taichi had been in the corner the entire time. Hikari had totally forgotten about her brother's existence.  
  
"Why didn't you kill them both when the chance arrived?"  
  
"Gomen nasai. Do you want me to rid of them now?"  
  
"The boy. Only the boy."  
  
"Hai, my Lord." Taichi bowed.  
  
"Onii-chan?" Hikari gasped in disbelief as he moved in on them. "What are . . . what are . . ."  
  
"I am using your brother as a host. He can't hear you," 'Taichi' said, taking another step forward. "He's far, far away from here." He raised a hand, and coils of energy formed a sword. He grasped the hilt. "My name is Raven."  
  
  
  
"No sign of them?" Yamato sighed, and ran a hand through his spiky blonde hair as he cradled the phone between his shoulder and ear. "None? Okay . . . Yeah. I'm sure I can think of something. Okay. Bye."  
  
He put the receiver back. "Takeru, where are you?"  
  
"Yamato? Any sign of your brother?" Mr. Ishida came out from the kitchen, drying his hands with a dishtowel. "Oh, yeah, and I made dinner."  
  
Yamato turned green.  
  
  
  
I can't believe Taichi's trying to kill me,' Takeru was so surprised, as he gazed up at the tall man looming over him, sword posed in a killing position, that the fact that he was about to die did not seem to register in his brain. At first. 'Whoa. Wait . . . Die? Nuh-uh. Noooo.'  
  
The sword came down, and he rolled to the side. It dug into the ground by his shoulder.  
  
"Takeru!" Hikari cried.  
  
Takeru sprang to his feet, his mind set on one thing- survival. He had to revive the real Taichi, somehow . . . And get all three of them safely out of the clutches of that maniac on the screen!  
  
"Taichi! Wake up!" He cried, dodging another onslaught of the alleged Raven.  
  
"He's dead, boy," Raven hissed, and Hikari gasped.  
  
Takeru felt his heart tighten at the sight of Hikari's distraught face. 'Hikari . . . Damn, I wish this guy didn't have a sword, I would beat his face in! Taking over Taichi's body is one thing, but getting Hikari upset!? You've crossed the line!'  
  
Raven lunged again. Takeru was ready. The very tip of the steel was nearly at his throat when he twisted to the right, and gave Raven a swift knee to the stomach.  
  
Raven gasped and the sword clattered to the ground.  
  
Takeru scooped it up, a tight grin upon his face as he pointed it at his foe. "If you're the best minion that freak's got, then bring 'em on."  
  
Raven smirked. "You wouldn't dare hurt me . . . If you haven't forgotten, I'm in the body of your little friend."  
  
'Man, he's right- wait a minute!'  
  
"I thought you said he was dead!" Hikari and Takeru cried in unison.  
  
Raven looked like a dear caught in the headlights as his gaze shifted from person to person.  
  
"Ah, you're a smart cookie," Takeru taunted. "Now, I advise you leave Taichi alone before I run you through. I'm pissed of now, and I'm ready to kill you if necessary."  
  
"You kill me, you kill your friend." Raven narrowed his eyes.  
  
Without another word, Takeru cut his arm. Not too deep, but enough to make his eyes go wide in pain. With a howl, a purple cloud formed above Taichi, whose mouth was open in shock. Evil radiated from it, which tortured Hikari to no end. Two beady hues seemed to formulate from the cloud and stare out at him, before the gas dissipated and vanished.  
  
The person on the screen mumbled something. ". . . Good for nothing fool . . .," He said, and disappeared.  
  
Taichi slumped to the ground, unconscious. Hikari and Takeru both ran over to his side.  
  
"I think he'll be okay," Hikari sighed in relief. She then gazed over at the blonde boy kneeling next to her.  
  
'When that guy was attacking us, I've never seen him look so . . . threatening,' she thought. 'It was so un-Takeru-like, it was scary.'  
  
Taichi stirred and moaned a bit. Once his eyes fluttered open, Hikari threw her arms around him.  
  
"Eh?" He murmured.  
  
There was a sudden, high-pitched squeal. The three of them quickly covered their ears, and tried to ride the horrid noise through. The lights turned off, leaving them in blackness once more, but the sound continued . . .  
  
TBC!  
  
  
  
  
  
A/N: I don't know about this chapter . . . wasn't exactly my favorite, and I apologize that things are going so slow. (Gomen!) Oh, well. Chapter Six will be out in due time, and please R+R! 


	6. Chapter Six

Chapter Six  
  
  
  
  
  
"What is that?" Hikari gritted her teeth, pushing her hands against her ears as hard as possible. The noise . . . she couldn't stand it!  
  
Takeru didn't seem to hear. He shouted something inaudible.  
  
"What?!"  
  
He tried again, but she still couldn't make it out. The noise persisted.  
  
Takeru saw a rectangle of light cut its way through the dark, and he grabbed her shirt. He leaned in right next to her ear, and yelled, "That way!"  
  
Together, they helped Taichi up and made a break for it. As soon at the threesome stumbled into the adjourning room, the squeal abruptly stopped and the door behind them vanished, all traces of it gone. Hikari ran her fingers around the spot where the trimming had been. "Weird . . ."  
  
"Yeah? If you think that's strange, look." Takeru's voice was filled with wonder.  
  
Hikari turned. "Nani?" Her jaw hit the floor. "Ohmigod."  
  
They were in the Yagami's apartment.  
  
"No . . . no way . . ." Taichi stuttered.  
  
Everything was in place . . . the couch, the television, the kitchen island, and even Miko's bed! The carpet was the same exact shade it should be, the TV was turned to the Cooking Network (as usual), and the phone was ringing.  
  
Had that been a portal home they had walked through?  
  
As much as Takeru hoped it was, somewhere deep in his heart he knew it couldn't be. That psycho wouldn't have let them off the hook THAT easily. He/She/It had seemed adamant about them kicking the bucket.  
  
Hikari reached out to pick up the phone, but she gasped as her hand passed right through. The ringing stopped.  
  
"Hello," Taichi's voice came out from over the answering machine. "You've reached the Yagami residence. We aren't home to answer your call, so please leave a message after the beep. Arigato."  
  
There was a tone, and now Yamato could be heard.  
  
"Moshi moshi, Miss and Mister Yagami. Have you heard anything from either Taichi or Hikari? Onegai, call me back as soon as possible." He hung up.  
  
"This . . ." Takeru licked his chapped lips, breaking the silence that had spread between the three of them. "Is an illusion."  
  
With that, the serene apartment fell away, as if it was a stage backdrop moving between scenes. Now they stood Izzy's room. He sat there, staring his beloved laptop as he typed away ferociously. "No, no, NO. That's not it, come on, Izumi." He wiped his sweaty brow.  
  
It disappeared again, replaced this time with the Ishida's humble apartment. Yamato leaned over the nightstand, a sigh escaping his lips.  
  
"Onii-chan!" Takeru shouted. He moved towards his brother, but too late. They faded out again just before his fingers could grab hold of his shirt.  
  
"This is mad," Taichi said. He, Hikari, and Takeru were now back in the dungeon-type environment. A skeleton cowered in the corner, its eyes black and empty, mouth hanging loosely from the jaws. Next to it was an iron cage, the door swung open.  
  
  
  
"Yay!" She cheered, smiling. Her hazel hues glittered as she twirled her chestnut-colored hair. Staring down at the frightened teens below her, her grin grew wider.  
  
"Mirror image," she hummed, gaze falling upon Hikari. It was tempting to just swoop down and kill them all with a single blow, but she wanted to savor their reactions a bit more. She took out a nail file and began a manicure.  
  
  
  
A period of time passed by. Takeru wasn't sure exactly how long it was, but it felt like forever and a day. He sat, quiet, his head hung.  
  
Hikari and Taichi were in similar positions, staying as far away from the dead carcass as possible.  
  
Though a dark cloud loomed over him, Takeru tried to think of happier times.  
  
After a bit of concentration, a vivid memory popped up. It was of his surprise birthday party, approximately one year prior . . .  
  
  
  
* Takeru knocked on the door again. Where was Yamato? He still had his CD player he had borrowed without permission!  
  
"Open up, Yamato!" He shouted impatiently.  
  
The door suddenly swung inward, and he was staring at Jyou.  
  
"Uh, hi?" Takeru blinked in obvious surprise.  
  
"Konnichi'wa, Takeru," Jyou shifted his gaze. "Would you, uh, like to come in?"  
  
Takeru looked at him suspiciously, and stepped into the messy apartment.  
  
"SURPRISE!"  
  
A hail of colorful confetti blinded him, as people sprang out of hiding spaces left and right.  
  
Takeru nearly lost his balance. "Wha--?"  
  
"Happy Birthday," Taichi said, blowing on a noisemaker. He handed him a cup of Coke, and then gestured to the buffet table. "Help yourself."  
  
Daisuke slouched in the corner, and gave Takeru a little wave. Sora and Iori hurried up to him, bearing presents. Izzy was surveying a Cheese Curl and murmuring about the complexity of the design, as Miyako hung on his every word. Mimi smiled at him, and smoothed out her dress. Finally, Hikari came up to him.  
  
"Hello," she whispered.  
  
Takeru grinned in elation from simply hearing the words. "Hey. Who threw this party?"  
  
"The idea was all of ours," she replied. "Come on, time to cut the cake!" *  
  
  
  
Takeru sighed, and sank a bit deeper down in depression. That hadn't helped at all. It just made the harsh actuality of them being stuck in such a horrid place worse.  
  
  
  
She couldn't stand it anymore. She threw her nail file aside casually, and vanished.  
  
She reappeared at the front of the room, near the pile of bones, at which she flashed a smile. "You've been alone, haven't you? No worries, you'll soon have company."  
  
Takeru, Hikari, and Taichi all whirled around and gaped at the new woman. Hikari nearly fainted from the mere sight of her.  
  
"It's . . . it's . . . me . . ."  
  
  
  
TBC! (Suspenseful yet again! O_o) 


	7. Chapter Seven

Chapter Seven  
  
  
  
  
  
"This can't be," Hikari whispered. "How . . ."  
  
The woman standing before her was a perfect replica, right down to the pink skirt and black knee-high boots.  
  
"Let's have a nice chat, shall we?" The mirror image of Hikari taunted.  
  
Hikari started to feel light-headed, and realized she was slowly being lifted into the air. She kicked her legs. "Put me down!" She exclaimed.  
  
Taichi went to grab her ankle, but she zoomed out of reach. Soon, the two females were face-to-face, heads nearly touching the high ceiling. Hikari had to push the bile threatening to rise in her throat down as she stared at 'her,' who looked back at her with a malicious look.  
  
"Are you the one who sent Raven after us?" Hikari asked weakly.  
  
"Hai."  
  
"Are you the one on the screen?"  
  
"Hai."  
  
"Are you . . . are you . . . the one in my dreams?"  
  
"Hai. Hai, I wanted to kill you. I thought throwing you out the window that night would end your life for sure, but I was wrong. I guess you were stronger than I anticipated . . . but that was merely a slight miscalculation. Oh, well, it's no big deal. It'll be a lot more fun to kill you directly," her hazel eyes burned into Hikari's.  
  
"Why do you look like me? Why do you want to KILL me?" Hikari protested, her heart pounding against her chest. She clenched her hands into tight fists to keep the woman from seeing how scared she really was, and gritted her teeth. The hues scanning her up and down-her own-were captivating. They beckoned to her, telling her to look into them. She refused with all her might, but felt her resolve weakening. Slowly, she lifted her head. Memories, not her own, yet they seemed so familiar-strangely familiar- flooded into her head. Now, she was looking through the eyes of another . . .  
  
** A girl, petite, grasped the hilt of her sword defiantly. Her long chestnut hair was in disarray. Her breath came out in ragged pants as she wiped the stream of blood trailing into her green eyes away. Everything seemed to be veiled in crimson.  
  
The woman who she was facing off against held her side in excruciating pain. "You bitch . . ."  
  
"You're getting what you deserve, Aya," the short girl snapped. "Death."  
  
Aya glared at Yuna, the girl with the sword, in obvious disgust. "If I die, you'll die with me." She straightened, and smoothed down her short blonde hair, her cool, calm, and collected attitude back.  
  
Yuna didn't answer. She only looked wistfully at the man in the corner, the man gasping, blood seeping out from a hideous wound in his abdomen. "Yu- Yuna . . ." he whispered.  
  
"Yukke, hold on!" She cried.  
  
With an enraged shriek, Aya charged. Yuna was taken aback, but quickly regained her composure, and went after her archrival.  
  
Swords clashed, blood was spilt, screams and grunts filled the air as the two skillful women went at it. Yukke watched, not really seeing, his eyes hollow.  
  
Aya suddenly pulled out something else metallic, but Yuna didn't notice. Aya jabbed at Yuna with her sword, which she blocked, but as Yuna did so, Aya impaled her through the stomach with a dagger.  
  
Yuna gasped, and staggered back. She looked at the crimson fluid streaming down her shirt, and then back up at Aya, who smiled giddily.  
  
Yuna fell to the floor, holding her wound. Aya approached her, and pointed the tip of her sword at her neck. "It's time for you to say bye-bye, Yuna," Aya hissed, her eyes slits.  
  
Aya got down next to her, the weapon positioned over Yuna, ready to cut her throat.  
  
Yuna scoffed. 'Big mistake, Aya,' she thought. She grabbed the dagger's handle, and with an enraged yell, she stabbed right through the other woman . . . **  
  
  
  
"What was that?" Hikari gasped, breathless from the events she had just witnessed.  
  
"Why, dear woman, don't you even recognize yourself?" She flipped her hair nonchalantly over her shoulder, seemingly as relaxed as if she was picking up guys. "I'm disappointed in you, Yuna."  
  
"Yuna?"  
  
"Yes, Yuna. You killed me . . ."  
  
"Then you must be . . ."  
  
"Hai, I'm Aya."  
  
"But that's not possible! If that Yuna girl killed you . . . how are you standing before me? And why in the world do you look exactly like me?!"  
  
"Reincarnation. Savor the word. When I was reincarnated, I chose this body to inhabit. Then I learned that you got the same one," Aya snorted. "A pretty big goddamn mistake, no?"  
  
"That's a lie!" Hikari yelled. "Why, Aya, do I not remember any of this?! You've got the wrong person!"  
  
"Don't play me for a fool," Aya hissed, barring her teeth. Her eyes flashed.  
  
"Okay, so maybe it is true," Hikari said, "but why did you bring my friend and my brother into this? Even if I am the reincarnation of this Yuna, you have NO right whatsoever to do that!"  
  
"You never let me finish. You saw Yukke, right? Yukke . . ."  
  
  
  
** "Yukke!"  
  
Yukke turned around, interrupted from his stupor as he gazed at the stars hanging above his open balcony. "Yuna," he smiled, his tan face breaking into a grin.  
  
Yuna stopped. "The skies are magnificent, aren't they?"  
  
Yukke nodded, and the two began to admire the stellar show playing out before them quietly. Yukke wrapped his arm around Yuna's waist, holding her close. She leaned against his strong body, completely at ease. Neither noticed the blonde woman hiding behind a large pillar behind them, crystal tears frozen on her cheeks by the cold wind. **  
  
  
  
"You loved him?"  
  
"Of course, you idiot!" Aya snapped. "But you took him away from me! He has his eyes set on you, and only you! He was blind to not see . . . how could he not see how much I loved him?"  
  
Hikari's head was spinning from all the new information being thrown at her. "But you killed him."  
  
Aya's face slumped, and for a moment, she looked sad. "I didn't . . . the attack wasn't meant for him. I was so close . . . but he saw me . . . being the brave bastard he was, he leapt in front of his LOVE--" she spoke the word spitefully-"and saved you. But thankfully . . ." The cold exterior was back. "He's come back."  
  
"Back?"  
  
"Yes . . ."  
  
"But as whom? Wh-oh, my God . . ." It hit Hikari like a train. "Takeru?!" She knew the answer from Aya's expression. "But you were attacking him! You said you wanted him dead!"  
  
"Yes . . . I would kill him . . . but only so he would be ridded of trash such as you."  
  
"That makes no sense!"  
  
"Ah, you didn't hear me through. In killing him . . . I would kill myself, too!" She looked elated at the idea. "So you would starve to death in this place, while I would be back with my Yukke . . . united in death!"  
  
TBC  
  
A/N: I would like to send a HUGE thanks out to all of those who reviewed . . .  
  
Karimon  
  
Takeru's Lost Angel  
  
Midori Kou  
  
JessyNick  
  
Fanficfanatic940  
  
Katmon915  
  
Wolfie  
  
Yoshia-Chan  
  
Anime4eva  
  
Lost-lil-gurl  
  
Kari'sKat and FairyFlowerKitty  
  
Takari fan  
  
You guys are awesome! I really appreciate it! Until next time . . .  
  
~Momiji-chan 


	8. Chapter Eight

A/N: Ugh, I have SUCH writer's block it's not funny. Oh, well. I'll force myself to get through this chapter. Having your fic come to a standstill is not good! O_o! I'm going to try and wrap things up soon, if I can think of a good way to smoothly remove Hikari and the guys from the sticky situation they've gotten themselves into. This installment WILL be short, and I apologize about that, so don't expect anything groundbreaking, all right? Well, here's Chapter Eight, and as always, R+R!  
  
  
  
  
  
Chapter Eight  
  
  
  
Aya gestured with her arm, and Hikari's breath caught in her throat. She was falling!  
  
She had no time to scream, only enough to brace herself for the impact against the cold concrete below, but it never came. She cracked open an eye warily when her descent had come to a sudden halt, and saw Takeru's grim face peering down over her in concern. "Are you okay? What was that person talking about?" He lowered his voice to a hiss. "Something about me?"  
  
Hikari sighed. "I don't think we have the time to discuss this now. Oh, and good catch." Despite the circumstances, a tiny blush crept cross her cheeks at how close she was to the blonde haired boy.  
  
Aya broke her out of her dream-like stupor. "So what are you going to do, Yuna? Will you allow me to do this the easy way?"  
  
"One, my name is Hikari," she retorted, feeling braver since Takeru was holding her. "And two, you really need to stop holding grudges. I don't know how long ago this was, or why you seem so intent that I'm truly this Yuna you seek, so let us go!" Instinctively, she rubbed the air where her Crest of Light used to dangle. Even though she had been forced to give it up for years now, she still knew it was with her. In addition, rubbing it always seemed to grant her good luck, which she decided they all needed.  
  
Aya snorted. "Whatever. You always were a terrible liar."  
  
  
  
  
  
"What?!" Izzy suddenly gasped.  
  
"What is it?" Yamato asked anxiously, as he, Miyako, Jyou, and Ken all gathered around the computer Izzy was huddled over.  
  
"I'm picking something up," he murmured, "a light pink aura. I'm sure of it! It must be . . ."  
  
"Hikari!" Miyako gasped. "The Crest of Light!"  
  
"I'm going in there after them," Yamato announced, as they all watched a small sphere of pink pulse on an area of the Digital World map.  
  
Jyou glanced at him nervously. "But . . . it's probably dangerous. We'd have to get everyone else together and our Digimon--"  
  
"Screw that, I'm going in after them!"  
  
  
  
  
  
Taichi's eyes darted around. There was no way to escape. Four walls of sheer concrete blocks surrounded them, and unless they found some way to shatter rock, they weren't going to get very far on their en route back home.  
  
'Where's Izzy when you need him? Or Agumon?'  
  
  
  
  
  
Hikari and Takeru straightened themselves. His eyes darted over to the girl standing rigidly next to him, rubbing hair between her thumb and index finger, right above her breast. Suddenly, an idea struck him. Well, a hollow shell of an idea. Okay, a ghost of an idea. But it was the only chance they had now.  
  
Would it work?  
  
It'd better. They were weaponless against such a powerful being . . . well, nearly weaponless. But there was still their crests, right? Was it possible?  
  
Takeru concentrated. 'Please, Kami-sama, let this work.'  
  
Hikari saw small beads of sweat break out along his forehead. 'What's he doing?'  
  
Aya raised an open hand into the air. She shouted something incomprehensible, and a dim outline of a circle became visible, hovering above her palm. It slowly filled in, and with each moment passing by, it became thicker and grew in dimension.  
  
'Something's happening,' Takeru realized through a hazy stupor. 'Something . . . it feels as if . . . as if . . . something is warping inside of me . . .'  
  
Small cracks in the cold concrete snaked out from beneath the rubber soles of his sneakers. He took no heed of this, and continued with his dire plan. 'It's working . . . I think . . .'  
  
Aya shouted a phrase again, and made a motion with her arm as if she was tossing a baseball. Hikari watched in horror as the glowing sphere traveled right at her. She cried out and covered her head, as Taichi yelled her name.  
  
There was a huge explosion.  
  
"What the hell!?" That was Aya. Hikari could tell, but she was unable to see her due to the immense amount of dust and dirt. Something had deflected that attack. There was now a gaping hole in the wall to her right. It dawned on Hikari slowly, and even then she didn't feel as though she could believe it.  
  
Had Takeru been the one to save her?  
  
"Hikari, Taichi . . ." Takeru's voice was soft. "You two . . . get out of here. Now."  
  
"What? Are you crazy?" Hikari gasped.  
  
"Just go through the hole! Don't worry! I'll follow!"  
  
Aya watched in disbelief from her perch up high. A yellow aura was surrounding the boy now.  
  
"Go! NOW!" He shouted.  
  
"IIE! I won't leave you, Takeru!" Hikari screamed, and lunged for his outstretched arm.  
  
A sad grin played upon his pale face. "Aishiteru, Hikari. Take good care of her, Taichi."  
  
And with that, everything suddenly disappeared. Tears flowed freely when she realized she and her older brother were outside, back in the Digital World. Birds squawked in the distance, as if they were mocking her. Hikari fell to her knees in the choked undergrowth and wept.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
'Hikari, I love you more than you could ever imagine. I'm sorry it had to end this way. I'm still not sure how I did it. The power of the Crest just seemed to kick in and . . . I don't know. It just took over. I couldn't bear if that woman hurt you. The thought of you dying just took over all my senses . . . at least you're safe. I don't know if you ever returned my feelings, but that doesn't really matter now, does it? Find someone. Be happy. Oh, and I know Yamato will be devastated by the news, so onegai, comfort him. Arigato, love. Good-bye.'  
  
  
  
  
  
The End!  
  
A/N: The epilogue will be posted soon . . . 


	9. Epilogue

A/N: Well, this is it. This is the final installment to this long-running Digimon, uh, epic. (Yeah, keep on dreaming, Momiji.) I can't thank you guys who supported me through your reviews enough! ^_^ You guys are awesome! COOKIES FOR ALL! Anyway, here's the beginning of the end! R+R, onegai!  
  
EPILOGUE  
  
Three months later had passed since the disappearance of Takeru and the return of Hikari and Taichi to the Real World. Yamato, who had been ready to spring into action, was startled out of his wits when the brother and sister had come flying out of the computer screen at him. Yet the comic relief that usually followed situations such as this was no where to be found (this happened a lot, in case you didn't know.) Hikari was crying softly to herself and was rocking back and forth, arms wrapped tightly around her like she was fending off some evil force. Even Taichi, the possessor of the Crest of Courage, had a distant expression plastered on his pale and worn face.  
  
The events that followed were heinous, and everyone felt like they were at fault in some way or another. Even Daisuke, who always treated Takeru like he was a stain on the floor was upset. When Taichi had been finally able to retell the adventure in the Digital World, Yamato had broken down right there and sobbed, forgetting all dignity whatsoever as the others watched in a stunned silence.  
Hikari now sat before the cool concrete of an upright gravestone, kneeling over the empty casket buried deep within the ground. Her lean fingers traced the engraved words listlessly on the stone,  
  
'Here lies Takeru Takaishi-the hope he spread will never be forgotten.'  
  
If there really was a body, she felt as though, in some strange, morbid way, that she would feel better, and more secure. His body probably was nothing but dust now, for the old barn they had taken refuge in had apparently exploded when they had returned to the area. Why or how nobody knew.  
  
Hikari wanted answers. She wanted closure. But most of all, she wanted Takeru back.  
  
How had he managed to use the power of the Crest to save them? When he killed Aya, had he ended up ultimately killing himself, too? Did he suffer? Was it quick? Was Hikari really Yuna? Had Takeru . . . had he loved her in a different way than a sister, or a best friend?  
  
Her thoughts were a jumbled mess. She should have expressed her feelings for him more openly! She'd taken their time together for advantage. The way he had held her when he had caught saved her from plummeting to the ground . . . it had felt right. Life wasn't fair.  
  
"Hikari?"  
  
Trying to keep her face as expressionless as possible, she turned her head slightly. It was Yamato. "Kon-Konnichi'wa."  
  
He sat down beside her. It hurt her to look at him. He bore such a remarkable resemblance to Takeru, which wasn't surprising.  
  
"How're you holding up?" She asked quietly.  
  
Yamato was silent for a moment. "I'm okay." He sure didn't seem so. The expression he wore on his face said a thousand words.  
  
"Oh" was all she said.  
  
"I miss him."  
  
"Me, too."  
  
Hikari glanced over at the man beside her. His eyes were clouded, and Hikari couldn't read the emotions zipping from one side of his face to the other.  
  
"I'm never going to forget him," Yamato began. "But . . . we have to move on."  
  
Hikari blinked at this new revelation. And to her own surprise, she agreed. "You're right."  
  
With a sad smile, he stood. "These are the first steps I'm going to take without the face of my younger brother looming over me. Hikari . . . will you join me?"  
  
Swallowing hard, she took the hand he offered. "H-Hai." A tear escaped down her cheek, and she knew in her heart that it would be the last one she shed over Takeru.  
  
'Good-bye.'  
  
Together, they slowly proceeded out of the graveyard. Though those questions surrounding Takeru would never be answered, they both knew everything would turn out all right.  
  
A/N: There you have it, folks. The real ending to Never Die. I can't believe I killed poor Takeru-chan! ::sniff:: Like I said before, those reviews you guys all gave me really helped me in finishing this. I know I'm not the best authoress out there, although I like to pretend I am at times . . . hehe. So don't read my fics expecting perfection! ::sweatdrop:: Well, ja ne, minna-san!  
  
~Momiji-chan 


End file.
